From: Bigfive (Original Message) Sent: 8/5/2002 5:34 PM
Wich of you guys shot anything heavier than 500kg (1100lb)??
And what was it?How did you load it on the pick-up or how did you transport it??What type of hunt was it and what did you do with all the meat???

Mine was eland (about 700kg or 1600lb).Hunted for "biltong"(beefjerky or in this case elandjerky).Savannah bushveld hunt with a lot of stalking.Lifted it with nylon ropes hanging from a thick branch and reverse the "bakkie" (pick-up) underneath it and let it drop again.Usually I just gut the animals but leave the skin on and take it home like that to prepare all my goodies.

Bigfive

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From: Nitro Sent: 8/6/2002 11:36 PM
The heaviest game I have shot is also an Eland. A nice 35 incher.

We were trying to take a klipspringer which ran off and spooked an unseen herd of eland. The eland ran past us and off into the bush. There was at least one taker among them. We took off at a fast jog for at least a couple of kms before slowing so the trackers could track. Several more kilometres before I spotted the rear left knee of the rear most eland a couple of hundred metres ahead through the bush. A tracker saw my look and immediately picked up the animal and passed the info to the PH We then followed them at a slow jog bent over at the waist. They were feeding but moving quite fast still. After quite a distance we started to be able to spot more animals. And the PH broght me forward saying the third animal was the one we wanted. Had to move forward again. The eland bull, the third, was about to move into a small gap in the bush. About 110 metres away angling away, crossing right to left. The gap was only a couple of feet. I fired angling the shot to hit mid-way and angle forward into the heart.The eland ran about 10 metres and stopped shivering. We ran in to about 25 metres and I fired another shot as a finisher. (I thought the eland had run about 100 metres - but the PH corrected me - WE had run 100 metres - funny how your re-collection can be wrong in the heat of the moment). The eland dropped and lay their shivering. We sat down for five minutes and allowed the eland to expire and for it to be safe to approach.

Rifle calibre was 30-06 with 200 gr Nosler Partitions.

All told we followed the eland for about seven kilometres and the hunt was very enjoyable.

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How we loaded the animal?

The eland was cut in half. Gutted. Then loaded in two parts into the Landcruiser utility. Five persons, the PH, Wayne, myself, and three trackers, Judea, Chipisi and George. Being the client has an advantage. I wasn't stuck at the "open" end in the blood flow that poured out.

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Many people would not be aware that the eland is by weight bigger than cape buffalo. Eland males weighing between 400 to a 1,000 kgs, with Cape buffalo bulls weighing between 500 to 800 kgs. (per "A Field Guide to Mammals of Africa" Haltenorth and Diller - Collins)

Mine probably was in the neighbourhood of 700 kgs.

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From: Bigfive Sent: 8/7/2002 5:45 PM
Nitro,
Firstly:
This is a beautifull animal.
Secondly:
Congratulations on a beautifull animal
Thirdly:
What Eland was it?????

Looking at the picture,and being shot in Zim I'll say it is a Livingstone Eland.Basically the only Eland in Zim.Here in SA you also get the Livingstone Eland but also the Cape Eland wich don't have that heavy black boss on the forehead.But the size is more or less the same.I'm after a Lord Derby Eland(Giant Eland) wich you only get in East Africa.

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From: Nitro Sent: 8/7/2002 8:49 PM
BigFive

To my knowledge I thought there was pnly two species of eland, being Lord Derby or Giant Eland and Common Eland. Not an expert though, by any means.

The distinctions that you are making between Cape and Livingston's eland wouldn't be SCI trophy register classes?

I hope one day to hunt Lord Derby Eland as well. One day when the lottery comes in how about joining me in the CAR (Central African Republic) for a lion tracking hunt and Lord Derby eland safari? Now that would be fun.

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From: hunt375 Sent: 8/8/2002 1:17 PM
The heavest animal that I shot was a bull elk at about
700lbs live weight. I got 395 lbs of boned out meat out
of him,all of it hamburger. And beleave me I worked my
ass of to get him out.Shot him at 9:30 in the morning
got the last bit of meat to the truck at 11:30 that nite
I was one tired S.O.B.

Bob Carpenter
Helena, Montana

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From: Bigfive Sent: 8/8/2002 10:59 PM
Nitro,
Try and get hold of the book "Hunting Africa".In there they show you all the sub-species.Unfortunatly I don't know the author but will find out for you.Or if you are here you can have a look at mine!!!But I'm 100% sure that it is sub-species and not just trophy classes......

Hunt375,

So good to hear from you again...........thought you got lost in the bush.........hahahahahaha
That must have been burgers to die for????Picture all the work you did and then imagine slaughtering a giraffe 2000kg(4400lbs)It is an absolute agonizing job.The hunting of it seems to be very nice but the work after that is a bit rough.How many burgers are you gonna get out of a giraffe???????????

What does the elk meat taste like??Beefy?lamb??or in a class of its own???????

Cheers
Bigfive